CY TWOMBLY AND THE LINE CALLIGRAPHIC

When the late great American artist Cy Twombly first heard that the word for “calligraphy” and “line” in Farsi is one and the same, he was tickled pink, exclaiming, “That’s what I do!” It is in this spirit that Iranian artist Fereydoun Ave—who worked and travelled with Twombly for three decades, remaining close friends until Twombly’s passing in 2011—curated Cy Twombly and the Line Calligraphic.

Twombly, a contemporary of Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, became known for his use of calligraphy-like forms and a graffiti style of painting. The lines of his delicate and abstract gestures often intersect with the dripping lines of paint as they make their way down the canvas. Bringing together works from his private collection, Ave carefully selected pieces by regional artists whose practices resonate with Twombly in this spirit.

The paintings and sculptures in Cy…